Samuel s



2 SheetsSheet 2. S, H EPWOR TH; Centrifugal-Machine.

No. 225,600. 'Patented Mar. 16,1880,

N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGMPIIEH, WASHINGTON. D. a

g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL S. HEPWORTH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,600, dated March16, 1880.

Application filed June 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. HEPWORTH, of Yonkers,in the county ofWestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Centrifugal Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, whereby aperson skilled in the art can make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

Like letters in the figures indicate the same parts.

My improvement relates to such machines as are used for the separationof liquids from solids by means of centrifugal force, and moreparticularly to those centrifugal machines that are used for theseparation of the crystals of sugar from its sirup, the basket of whichis at tached t the spindle, upon which it turns above its bearings, andwhich is driven from below in the usual manner.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for entirely preventingthe jar of the machine when revolving, which can be arranged nnder thebasket of the machine without interfering in the least with thedischarge of the sugar through the bottom of the basket, or allowing itto come in contact with any of the working parts; also, to provide abetter valve for the discharge of the sugar through the bottom of thebasket than has heretofore been used.

Machines have been heretofore constructed with valves upon the underside of the basket, as in my present invention; but such machines havehad the valve loose upon the spindle, and therefore have been difficultto operate, requiring some means of turning them from the under side, orbolting them to the stationary part of the machine, and turning thebasket and spindle when it is desired to open them. i

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the severaldevices that will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through themiddleof my improved machine. Fig.2 is a top view of the "parts to whichthe elastic disk 12 is attached. Fig. 3 is a top view of the elasticdisk 12 detached from the machine. Fig. l is a vertical cross-section ofthe part 0 of the frame of the machine, forming the outer attachment forthe elastic-disk. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the part a ofthe upper sugar that may chance to fall upon it from the valve-openingsin the basket above it.

C is a cylindrical case or shell for containing and supporting theinterior working parts of the machine. It is firmly connected with thebase A by means of the arm B.

D is the curb or part which contains the revolving basket. It isconnected with and supported by the base A.

E is the revolving basket for containing the magma from which the sugaris to be extracted. F is the annular channel into which the liquid isthrown from the revolving basket. G is the outlet from the channel F forconveying the liquid to some suitable receptacle. H is a column forsupporting the brake-lever.

a is the spindle, to which the basket is attached in the mannerhereinafter described, and from which it receives its motion.

1) is the valve. This is fixed to the spindle and moves with it.

c is a sleeve and flange, forming the center of the basket.

cl is an interior sleeve for lifting the basket. It has a flange at itslower end, which extends under a part of the sleeve 0.

e is a screw for lifting the sleeve d. It enters a hollow thread in thetop of the spindle, and is provided with a circular rim, which engagesunder the top flange of the sleeve d, so that by turning the screw thebasket is lifted from the valve b. v

f is a hand-wheel for turning the screw 0.

d to transmit motion to the machine.

9 is an oil-cup for oiling the spindle. This cup is provided with aninterior circular groove near the top, into which a small quantity ofoil is thrown by the centrifugal force each time the basket is chargedand revolved, and this oil is conducted to the central pipe, so that afew drops of oil descend to oil the bearings of I the spindle each timethe machine stops. The oil passes down through a vertical opening in thecenter of the screw and spindle (shown at a in Fig. 1) and runs outthrough the transverse hole I) to the circular chamber 0, and thendownward, oiling the bearing j, into the chamber of the pulley m. Fromthis it passes through the hole y in the pulley to the chamber 2 in thesocket l, oiling the bearing in the ball-and-socket joint lc Z. In casethe oil overflows from the chamber cwit falls into the annular space ftand passes through the holes 09 into the cup-shaped flange o, throughthe hole 'w','and into the chamber 2. From this chamber it is intendedto overflow through the pipe g.

h is a copper cone covering the interior parts in the center of thebasket. z' is one of the openings in the bottom of the basket, of whichthere are usually three, covered by the valve 1). j is a sleeve, inwhich is formed the upper bearing of the spindle. k is a ball, whichcontains the lower bearing of the spindle, so that the Whole bearing canhave a rocking motion in the socket l.

m is a pulley, around which passes the belt This pulley is firmlyattached to the spindle above the ball-and-socket joint, but extendsdownward, so that the belt can pass over the center of motion. a

n is a flange attached to the sleeve j. It is provided with projectionsor lugs a, (see Fig. 5,) which enter into the holes in the elastic disk19. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

0 is a ring attached to the frame of the machine, which is likewiseprovided with projecjections or lugs for entering into the holes in theelastic disk 19.

p is an elastic disk, having a series of holes around its circumference,as shown in Fig. 3,

which is placed upon the lugs on the parts n and 0 in the position shownin section in Fig. 1. This serves as an elastic connection between thebearing of the spindle in the sleeve jand the fixed frame of themachine. This elastic disk is preferably made of rubber, and operates inthe same manner as a series of loops placed over the opposite lugs uponthe parts a and 0. A better and more equal effect is, however, obtainedby making them all in one piece in the form of a disk, as shown in thedrawings.

In my improved bearing the rubber operates by tension, and not bycompression, as has heretofore been used.

When the rubber is used as a bushing sufficient play cannot be obtainedto allow the bearing of the spindle to perfectly accommodate itself tothe variation in the axis of motion caused by unequally-balanced chargesin the basket.

By means of my improved elastic bearing the basket is allowed to assumeits proper axis of rotation and revolve without jar, even when veryunequally loaded.

The ball-and-socket support at the bottom of the spindle allows thelower bearing of the spindle to-conform to the motion of the upperbearing and permits of a lateral as well as an end bearing in thejournal.

q is the brake, for the purpose of rapidly stopping the revolution ofthe basket when the operation of purging the sugar has been completed.One end of each side of the brake is hinged to lugs upon the inside ofthe part 0, and the other endsare connected to the arms of the triplelever V, which serves to draw them together and clamp them upon thepulley m, upon which they act by friction in the usual manner.

w is a hand-lever for operating the brake by means of the crank s andthe connectingrod t. p

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: Before starting, theoil-cup g is filled with oil and a few drops are placed in the verticalhole a in the top of the spindle, so as to oil the bearings before thecommencement of the automatic oiling before described. The basket isthen filled with the semi-fluid sirup containing the crystals of sugar,and is set in motion and rapidly revolved by means of the belt 61. Whenthe sugar is sufficiently drained the machine is'stopped by means of thebrake q. The hand-wheel f then receives a quarterturn to the left, whichraises the basket slightly from the valve, thus relieving the friction,so that the basket can easily be turned by means of its rim until theopenings in the bottom are over the spaces between the leaves of thevalve, thus leaving a free discharge for the sugar, which is removed inthe usual manner. The openings in the bottom of the basket are thenreturned over the leaves of the valve, the hand-wheel is turned back toits first position, and the basket recharged.

In filling the basket there is sometimes a greater weight upon one sidethan the other. In this case the center of gravity does not coincidewith the exact center of figure, and if the basket is firmly held infixed'bearings a great vibration and jar are produced.

Bymeans of my improved elastic bearing and the play allowed at thefoot-step of the spindle this jar is entirely avoided, and the basketassumes an axis of rotation accommodated to the unequal load, thebearings yielding sufficiently to permit of its so doing.

What I claim as my invention isl. The basket E, loose upon the spindle,in combination with the valve I), rigidly attached to the spindle andplaced underneath the basket, rotating relatively to each other to openthe valve, substantially as described.

2. The basket E, capable of turning upon the rings a and 0, providedwith projections the spindle, and the Valve underneath the which enterthe loops in the disk, substantially same fixed to the spindle, incombination with as and for the purpose herein described. the screw 6and hand-wheel f, whereby the SAMUEL S. HEPWORTH.

5 basket may be raised to open the valve, sub- Witnesses:

stantially as described. T. H. MILLER,

3. The elastic disk 10, in combination with THEO. G. ELLIS.

